Rory Boylen's Column

While every hit to the head or borderline shot is looked at endlessly on tape, the seriousness of hitting from behind is being forgotten. “It’s equal to all situations that happen on the ice; you don’t make something more important or less important.” – NHL linesman Brad Lazarowich.

The Vancouver Canucks upgraded parts of the roster in the summer and the work they did on the third forward unit will have the greatest impact on their fortunes. With a Hart Trophy winner, his identical twin, a Selke finalist and a perennial Vezina candidate already in the lineup, the Vancouver Canucks’ main goal in the off-season was to bulk up a third line that on many nights was outworked and overmatched in 2009-10 – especially when they met the Chicago Blackhawks in the post-season.

Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk talks about his unlikely fight with Anaheim's Corey Perry and what his plan was for the tussle. Always expect the unexpected.
Even if you live by that motto, there was still no way of predicting a Corey Perry-Pavel Datsyuk fight in the third period Friday night with Detroit holding a 4-0 lead.

While it may not always be easy to hear of your favorite team sending a prized prospect to the AHL, it's a good sign for the organization. While final NHL roster decisions give you an idea of where each player stands in the organization, they also tell you just where the organization itself stands in the grand scheme of player, and team, development.

Whether they realize it or not, in the end belligerent parents can have a negative long-term impact on their kid's minor sports life. It’s really simple, but apparently a concept some parents just can’t comprehend.
Minor sports – and on THN.com, we’re talking minor hockey – are for kids to enjoy and not for parents to interfere in and, consequently, ruin.

A Q&A with the third-year NHL bench boss discussing Nino Niederreiter, the Isles' goaltending and expectations for the upcoming season. The rebuilding New York Islanders are preparing for Year 3 under coach Scott Gordon. The team saw an improvement of eight wins and 18 points from 2008-09 to 2009-10 and as the kids get more experienced there is good reason for optimism.

The all-time goal scoring great reflects on the emotional outburst from 1972 that helped turn the tide in favor of Canada. When you think of great sports speeches, there are a few that have become etched in history.
Lou Gehrig’s “luckiest man on the face of this earth” speech stands out in baseball; and Muhammad Ali’s many “I am the greatest” declarations defined a boxing era.

Every year the threats of big names being lured away grow larger, but again and again those threats fall short. If the Kontinental League is to fulfil its goal of being on the same ground as the NHL, it’s got a long way to go yet.
Here we sit on Aug.

No Swedish players went in Round 1, but there were some strong choices on Day 2... and the quirkiness of Kirill Kabanov continues. LOS ANGELES – In the 2009 draft, seven elite players were taken from Sweden in the opening round: Victor Hedman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, David Rundblad, Jacob Josefson, Tim Erixon and Marcus Johansson.

It was an entertaining night in Las Vegas that saw many new winners, but also one very familiar one. LAS VEGAS – In what was one of the most – perhaps the most – entertaining NHL Awards Show yet (how great was that Ryan Getzlaf-Bobby Ryan skit?) there were few surprises, but more than a few new faces.

There were a few unexpected deals Saturday, headlined by pending UFA defenseman Dan Hamhuis to the Flyers. It was a surprisingly busy Saturday for the Nashville Predators, trading out pending UFA defenseman Dan Hamhuis and captain Jason Arnott in two separate deals.